Outside door handle assembly



Dec 2 1953 B. D.vPRlE"s1'l\a/M\1V ETAL *2,852,753

nuTsIDE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY. H

" Filed sept. 25, 1954 'INVENTORS United States Patent C OUTSIDE DOORHANDLE ASSEMBLY BeWley D. Priestman, Livonia, Mich., and John G.Hertlein, Trenton, N. J., assignors to General Motors Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 23,1954, Serial No. 457,871

z claims. (c1. 29z-336.3)

This invention relates to a door handle assembly, and more particularlyto a push-button door-handle assembly for an automobile.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved push-buttondoor-handle assembly; another feature of the invention is that itprovides a novel andimproved means for retaining an actuating rod andpush button in the door handle; a further feature of the invention isthat it provides improved means for holding the handle assembly togetherin a chamber which is elliptical in transverse section; still anotherfeature of the invention is that it provides improved means forreleasably locking a stop member in the assembly to a retainer member;and yet a further feature of the invention is that it provides improvedmeans for holding the retainer member in the chamber opening.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an automobile door handle embodying theinvention, parts of the handle being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view looking along the line 2--2 ofFig. 1, the view having been turned end for end; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, therod 28 being shown in elevation.

Most automobile door handles currently in use are xedly mounted on thedoor, having a stationary gripping portion and a butt portion with achamber in which a push button is mounted. In these handles there is aninside opening into the chamber for inserting the push button, actuatingrod and push-button spring, and this opening generally is circular sothat the push button, the actuating rod, and the push-button spring canbe retained inside the chamber by means of a conventional snap ringseated in a circumferential groove in the wall of the chamber. In orderto improve the appearance of the handle and blend it better into theoverall streamlined appearance of the automobile, it is sometimesdesirable to make the butt portion of the handle elliptical rather thancircular in section, with the result that the chamber which houses thepush button, actuating rod, and spring is elliptical in transversesection. With this construction a conventional type of snap ring is notsuitable, and this invention relates primarily to improved means forreleasably retaining the push-button assembly in the chamber in thehandle butt where an elliptical or other non-circular or elongated (intransverse section) chamber is used.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, represents a doorhandle which is mounted by means of screws 12 on the outer panel 14 ofan automobile door. The handle includes a gripping portion 16 and a buttportion 18 which is elliptical in transverse section as i shown best inFigure 2. A continuation 20 of the handle portion may overlie the buttas shown in Figure 3.

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Shims 21 and 22 are mounted between the handle and the door.

The elliptical butt portion of the handle has an e1- liptical chamber 24which houses a push button 26, an actuating rod 28, and a push-buttonspring 30. As shown in Figures l and 3 the push button projectsoutwardly from the chamber ,24 through an opening 32, and the inner endof the push button in the chamber is ilanged at 26a to prevent the pushbutton from being removed from the chamber. Flange 26a normally seatsagainst a sealing ring 34 in the chamber. The actuating rod 28 projectsinwardly from the chamber through an opening 36 and is adapted tooperate the door latch through an actuator shown at 38 in Figure 1. Thespring 30 urges the push button outwardly to the position shown inFigures l and 3.

An elliptical stop member 40 in the opening 36 seats the end of thecompression spring 30. p In conventionally used constructions, where theopening 36 is circular the stop member 40 may be retained by an ordinarysnap ring seated in a circumferential groove in the wall of the chamber24. However, since the opening 36 is elliptical, such a snap ring isAnot suitable and a new and improved retaining means is provided.

The stop member 40 has a central hub 42 with a bore 44 through which thepush rod 28 projects. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, opposite radiallyextending detents 46 are formed on the stop member 40. An elongatedretainer 50 is slidable on the hub 42, this retainer having radial slots52 for receiving the detents 46 when the parts are assembled to lock thestop member 40 and the retainer 50 against relative rotation.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, circumferential slots 54 are formed aroundthe opposite sides between the vertices of the elliptical chamber 24.These slots are formed by shelf members 55 which extend along portionsof each side between the vertices of the ellipse, and a circumferentialcut-away portion which extends around the chamber and forms a shoulder56 for seating the stop member 40. The retainer 50 has two opposite atsides 50a and 5017 and two arcuate ends 50c and 50d. The Width of theretainer between the sides 50a and 50b is less than the width (measuredalong the conjugate axis) of the chamber 24, and the length of theretainer is such that its ends enter the slots 54 and project under theshelves 55 when the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 2. When theparts are assembled, the stop member 40 is slid over the end of the pushrod 28 and is pushed into the chamber 24 against the force of spring 30.The retainer 50 is mounted on the hub 42 of the stop member and isinserted into the opening 36 in a rotative position 90 degrees from theposition shown in the drawings so that its arcuate ends are adjacent thevertices of the lelliptical opening. With the parts in this position andwith the retainer located in the plane of the circumferential slots 54,the retainer is rotated through an are of degrees. During this rotationthe retainer will ride on the detents 46 on the stop member, and thearcuate ends 50c and 50d will enter the slots 54 to hold the partsassembled. When the retainer is rotated to the position shown in thedrawings, the detents 46 will snap into the radial slots 52 toreleasably lock the stop member 40 and the retainer 50 against relativerotation.

If it is desired to take the assembly apart for any reason, it is merelynecessary to push in on the end of the hub 42, moving the detents 46 outof the radial slots 52. With the parts held separated in this manner,the retainer 50 may be rotated through an arc of 90 degrees so that thearcuate ends 50c and 50d move out of the slots 54, permitting removal ofthe retainer and stop member from the chamber 24. The retainer isprovided with two holes 58 for the insertion of a tool to facilitate itsrotation.

While We have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it iscapable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the constructionand arrangement may be made Without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a door handle assembly comprising a door handle having a grippingportion and a butt portion, a chamber in said butt portion having anelliptical opening at one end thereof, an actuating rod in said chamber,and a spring in said chamber urging said rod in one direction, apparatusfor mounting the spring in the chamber comprising an elongated stopmember movably and nonrotatably received Within said opening for seatingsaid spring, said member having a central hub with a bore therethroughfor receiving said rod, a pair of oppositely located grooves in the Wallof said chamber at the minor axis of said opening, an elongated retainermember rotatably mounted on said hub and being freely receivable withinsaid opening along the major axis thereof, said retainer being rotatableabout said hub to a position along the minor axis of said opening inengagement Within said grooves to limit movement of said stop memberagainst the action of the spring and inter-engaging means on said stopmember and retainer member to lock said retainer member againstrotation.

2. In a door handle assembly comprising a door handle having a grippingportion and a butt portion, a chamber in said butt portion having anelliptical opening at one end thereof, an actuating rod in said chamber,and a spring in said chamber urging said rod in one direction, apparatusfor mounting said spring in the chamber comprising an elongated stopmember movably and nonrotatably received Within said opening for seatingSaid spring, said member having a hub with a bore therethrough forreceiving said rod and a pair of detents adjacent said hub along theminor axis thereof, a pair of oppositely located grooves in the Wall ofsaid chamber at the minor axis of said opening, an elongated retainermember having a pair of slots along the major axis thereof and beingfreely receivable Within said opening along the major axis thereof forrotation about said hub, said retainer member being rotatable withinsaid opening to a position along the minor axis thereof in engagementwithin said grooves to register said slots With said detents and therebylock said retainer member in place against rotation whereby said memberlimits movement of said stop member against' the action of said spring.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS531,603 Tomlinson Dec. 25, 1894 1,038,933 Miller Sept. 17, 19122,606,783 Roethel Aug. 12, 1952

